Discussion of 'Sabbath Law' postponed by month

Bill initiated by MK Mickey Zohar up for approval by Ministerial Committee on Legislation rejected following haredi opposition.

Mordechai Sones, 07/05/17 13:47

Deri at mother's funeral

צילום: Flash90

The Knesset Ministerial Committee on Legislation decided to postpone the discussion of the Sabbath Bill, initiated by MK Mickey Zohar of the Likud in cooperation with Knesset members Rachel Azaria (Kulanu), Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid), and Manuel Trachtenberg ("Zionist Camp").

The reason for the postponement is apparently the resolute opposition of the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties to advancing the proposal, which they claim would undermine the status quo on the issue of Shabbat in the State of Israel.

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who is sitting shiva for his mother Esther, spoke this morning (Sunday) with heads of the haredi parties, Minister Yaakov Litzman and MK Moshe Gafni.

The conversation with Litzman took place when he came to comfort Deri over his mother's death. Deri agreed with the two that the haredi parties should strongly oppose the Sabbath Bill in the government, in light of the desecration of the Sabbath's holiness inherent in the bill.

In the conversation, Deri clarified that the haredi parties should inform Minister Yariv Levin, who heads the meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, that they are vetoing the proposal.